Is the Hellcat V-8 About to Sink Its Teeth into the Dodge Charger?

We’ve barely managed to settle our racing hearts after experiencing the menacing 2015 Dodge Challenger Hellcat, and now there’s a chance the same unholy powertrain will bless the next Dodge Charger. If this actually happens, it would firmly stake Dodge's claim to the horsepower wars.

The evidence giving us pause is an SAE J1349 engine certification filing for the Hellcat’s supercharged, 707-hp, 6.4-liter V-8. The J1349 filing is the proper channel for OEMs to get engines SAE certified, and the test is conducted by a third party to ensure impartiality. Listed on the filing (which you can inspect yourself by clicking here) lists the “6.2L SC SRT” engine for both the 2015 Dodge Challenger and 2015 Dodge Charger.

A Dodge spokesperson wouldn’t comment on whether there’s a Charger Hellcat hiding in the tall grass for the 2015 model year, but the Dodge Charger and the Challenger do ride on related platforms. Still not convinced? That’s fine, but have a look at a slide from Dodge’s five-year plan (below). On the right side, in red, the Charger SRT does indeed appear to be getting the same rear-wheel-drive, supercharged V-8 setup as is listed for the Challenger. We take that as confirmation there's a Hellcat sedan coming soon.

A 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat would be a truly unique vehicle in the marketplace, and more important it would further Dodge’s recent announcement that it would transition into a performance-focused brand. If it matched the Challenger's 707-hp rating, the Charger Hellcat would significantly outpace similar performance sedans like the BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG.

Currently the Dodge Charger with the most ponies is the Charger SRT8, which is equipped with Dodge’s 470-hp 6.4-liter Hemi V-8. The 2015 Dodge Charger has been refreshed with smoothed-out styling, but a 707-hp Charger Hellcat would be anything but smoothed-out. Let’s just hope there aren’t any police departments that decide to trade their Charger Pursuit for something a little more sinister.